The New Patriotic Party (NPP) will establish 31 voting centres at the Babayara Sports Stadium for its upcoming national executive elections, in an effort to speed up the voting process.

The arrangement is expected to prevent voting from extending into the night, with about 7,136 delegates expected to participate in the elections.

Speaking to JoyNews Gemma Appiah, the NPP Director of Elections, Evans Nimako said 21 of the centres would cater for the elections of the party’s chairman, vice chairman, general secretary, organiser and treasurer.

“This is to ensure that we are able to vote so quickly that it will not travel into the night,” he said.

Mr Nimako explained that the arrangement would limit the number of delegates assigned to each centre to no more than 400.

The remaining 10 centres will cater for the party’s various wing elections, comprising five for the youth wing, three for the women’s wing and two for the Nasara contest.

He said the youth wing has a particularly large number of eligible voters because the party’s constitution allows all delegates below the age of 40 to participate in the youth wing election.

All 31 voting centres will be located within the Babayara Sports Stadium and will be manned by officials of the Electoral Commission (EC).

Candidates will also have accredited agents stationed at the various centres to observe the voting process.

Mr Nimako disclosed that a simulation exercise had already been conducted at the stadium involving the conference committee, the police, the EC and other stakeholders.

He said the exercise was designed to demonstrate how the voting process would be managed and identify potential challenges ahead of election day.

Mr Nimako expressed confidence that the arrangements would facilitate a smooth voting process when the NPP holds its conference elections on Saturday.